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I've got an '89 GL EA81 Hatch that I've recently acquired. This is my first older Subaru and I'm having a helluva time getting the right parts when I go for them. I've tried to get a muffler, a ignition key cylinder, and axle shafts all of which turned out to be the wrong parts. The axles I was able to sort out, but I get the feeling with the other stuff that I'm getting parts from the GL wagon. Can anyone tell me if there is another year I should as after that would be more likely to get me the right parts the first time? I always try and take the part to be replaced with me for comparison, but this is not always possible ya know?

Also, is there a good online source for parts? Seems like I've read lots of horror stories about crap parts from sources other than the dealer who, at least in Va, seems to be discontinuing Hatch parts.

Yes - your 89 is *really* an 84 for all intents and purposes. Nothing changed between 84 and 89 with the EA81 series.

It's not that the dealer is "discontinueing" anything. It's that the parts warehouses just don't have them and they aren't going to make more. The car has exceeded it's lifetime as far as the dealer is concerned and there's no profit in makeing those parts again. Once they run out, that's it.

Your best bet for a lot of the non mechanical stuff is to hit the junk yards and start collecting all the parts you can find. Again - 1980 to 1984 vehicles are the parts that will interchange for you. 85 to 87 they still made Brat's and Hatchbacks, then only the Hatch in 88/89.

You can also ask on the board here. There's lots of us out on the west coast with access to a LOT more parts than the east coast has. My parts collection is huge, and doesn't seem to be decreaseing.....

Subaruparts.com, they are in Tacoma WA ... but not sure what is on the East coast (If I want Subaru Parts) . With my 84 Hatch I had the same problem so I just have them look up Brat parts.. same for my year of Hatch.... may work for your Hatch/Brat kind of thing.

I've had good luck recently with www.rockauto.com . Sometimes you can get lucky if you ask for 87 brat or 87 Standard. The Standard was just a base hatchback anyway.I've learned to look up the part number online at the parts stores website, compare it to the 85 and up EA82 series part number to make sure it's not the same number, then go into the store with the part number I need. At first the guys didn't like it and wanted to look it up anyway, but now they just go with it. Don't forget Ebay.........